5 Ways to Prepare for a Music PR Campaign

You just received your masters back from the studio and you’re ready to start sending your music out to the blogosphere. Then you anxiously await all the coverage that will inevitably roll in.

Not so fast.

If you really want blogs and the music industry to take you seriously, you need to have all your affairs in order. At Green Light Go, we pay an insane amount of time to the attention to detail. This is so we can set a band up as favorably as possible in an industry that rarely operates in a band’s favor.

Whether you are running your own campaign or hiring a music publicist, there are five things you can and should do if you want to see a more successful campaign.

1. Publicity Photos

Blogs are going to want to run photos if they decide to cover your band. And that practice space photo you have as your Facebook banner most likely won’t be it. If you have a friend who’s a photographer and willing to help, great. If you don’t, this is an area where a great photo can make a difference in whether a blog will cover you or not. This is the first impression of the band and oftentimes a judgement is made before even listening to the music. Do yourself a favor, and work with a photographer whose style matches your sound and can open up opportunities to be heard based on a great first impression. Your photos should be consistent with your genre and overall sound. Ask people- who won't just tell you what you want to hear- if you're conveying the right image, and be open to feedback that contradicts your own beliefs. If you have access to someone in the industry who has experience with artist development, music pr, or music media, ask them. They have seen it all and quickly tell you if you're moving in the right or wrong direction.

You’ve been in the studio so let’s face it, you really haven’t had time to work your social media. In fact, maybe it’s been months since you’ve posted a Facebook status update. Well, now is time to get busy and engage your fanbase. Remind them that you are alive and you have something cool on the horizon that they should be excited about. If you are struggling with a few hundred followers, it’s time to look at ways you can increase your followers and create an engaged fanbase. A great and easy way to do this is to run a FB ad (I know!) giving away a free song to those who are fans of a similar band. If you get this right, chances are you will have new followers who will be excited to hear what’s next.

2. Social Media

You’ve been in the studio, so let’s face it: you really haven’t had time to work your social media. In fact, maybe it’s been months since you’ve posted a Facebook status update. Well, now is time to get busy and engage your fanbase. Remind them that you are alive and you have something cool on the horizon that they should be excited about. If you are struggling with a few hundred followers, it’s time to look at ways you can increase your followers and create an engaged fanbase. A great and easy way to do this is to run a FB ad (I know)! giving away a free song to those who are fans of a similar band. If you get this right, chances are you will have new followers who will be excited to hear what’s next.

3. Bio

Is your bio up to date with a story that is totally unique to your band? If not, start brainstorming ideas of what makes your band, you. Personally, I’m a fan of creating lists of 20 items. Once you get beyond the first ten, it becomes unbelievably challenging. It also allows you to come up with some really cool out of the box ideas to really truly make your band unique.

4. Know Your Fans

You want more fans and feel like everyone should be listening to your amazing music, right? Well, if you want more fans, you need to take amazing care of the ones you have right now. Do you know why they like your band? What are their interests outside of your band, even outside of music? The key is to make your fans feel like they are part of a special community and that they are just as important to you as you are to them. When a blog sees a band that has an engaged following of fans, they also look at those fans as potential readers of their blog.

5. Be Active

Social media is just one way you can create activity, but really that should be a byproduct of all the activity you are creating in the real world. If you're a band who plays live shows, then focus on how you can go on tour. Even better look at ways you can connect with more established bands and go on tour with them to help build credibility for your band. What if your band doesn’t have the opportunity to tour? Go back to my favorite list of 20 and determine 20 ways you can create more activity for your band based on where you are at right now.

Green Light Go: Planning to release an album or EP? Look at the point above that most excites and you take action.

Sharing is Caring: Know a band who’s releasing a great album, but has been MIA in the public arena. Send them this article to make sure their music gets heard.

Want to know if your band is media friendly? Get access to our media audit checklist to ensure that your media presence is a good match for your music and will help elevate your appeal to music outlets.

Janelle is the owner of Green Light Go. When she's not spreading the word on her favorite bands she can usually be found riding her road bike through Michigan, designing super hip clothes or analyzing people much to their dismay.Find Out More…

What They're Saying

Green Light Go offered the persistence and professionalism we needed to take our festival to the next level. Janelle's passion is contagious and her drive unparalleled. In this industry you'd be hard pressed to find anyone better.